Sansiri, a Thai property developer, will invest in Tyler Brűlé’s lifestyle magazine Monocle, and Standard International, a US-based hotel chain, as part of a wider drive into international markets.Sansiri will announce on Wednesday that it has invested $80m across a range of start-ups and small businesses, including a $6m, 12.5 per cent stake in Monocle that values the magazine, which is known for its popularity with elite, international readers, at about $47m. That is less than the $115m valuation on Monocle when Nikkei, which owns the Financial Times, acquired a small stake of about 2.8 per cent in 2014. Mr Brűlé, who is also an FT columnist, will retain about 72 per cent of Monocle with his family.The investments are part of a push into international markets outside real estate led by Sansiri president Srettha Thavisin, who told the FT that it would seek further deals next year.The deals also include a $58m stake in Standard International, a $6.6m stake in Hostmaker, a London-based management company for Airbnb hosts, $12m in JustCo, a Singapore-based co-working group and $300,000 in Farmshelf, which manufactures smart, indoor urban farms for city dwellers. The five companies are all early stage start-ups or small businesses. The investments represent a shift in strategy for Sansiri, a Bangkok-listed developer, amid a slowdown in the country’s property market. According to Mr Thavisin, the objective is to generate equity returns when the start-ups float on public markets, while also bringing some of businesses into the Thai market. “We are first and foremost a residential property developer in Thailand, but we have reached a stage where we have the financial strength and brand equity to expand outside,” Mr Thavisin said. “In addition to property we want to invest in companies.”Sansiri has benefited over the past few years as wealthy investors from Hong Kong and mainland China have snapped up Thai apartments to take advantage of lower prices. However, with China tightening capital controls, the company has looked to diversify into other businesses.Mr Thavisin said that he wanted to generate about a fifth of future income from its start-up investments.© Doozzi Photography/AlamySansiri will also bring some of the technology-based businesses to Thailand. JustCo has agreed to launch four shared offices in Thailand next year, while Monocle will advise Sansiri on a luxury residential project in Bangkok.“I think a lot of it ties back to . . . what their residential ambitions are,” said Mr Brűlé, editor-in-chief and chairman of Monocle. “We have an international audience and the established advertising relationship works for this. Deepening the ties is important.”

https://www.ft.com/content/423ffff4-c3cd-11e7-a1d2-6786f39ef675